. >> it is no secret that president jimmy carter had wanted to make the announcement that the long ordeal had ended himself as one of his last piece of business. >> word came at 6:47 this morning that the final papers had been signed. and the president was jubilant. then for more than four hour it is president and his staff waited and waited. but word of the freedom flight never came from iran. finally the president put aside all thoughts of making the freedom declaration while in office and he met president- elect reagan and moved out of the capital for the inauguration. the hostages left the airport 20 minutes after the inauguration and carter had not learned that they flew out to freedom until his motorcade was arriving into andrews base. there the carter family spent 15 minutes saying their last goodbyes to washington officials. then they boarded the plane to georgia where the president was finally going to make that announcement. >> just a few moments ago on air force one, i had received word officially for the first time that the ano carrierá on the first leg of a journey home. and